Chris Fountain goes The Full Monty ahead of the UK show.

By Steve Mills

A much loved British film gets a stage adaptation coming to Milton Keynes Theatre.

The Full Monty stars Hollyoaks star Gary Lucy and Chris Fountain as well as dinnerladies actor Andrew Dunn when the show visits the area from Monday to Saturday October 3 to 8.

It tells the tale of six out-of- work Sheffield steelworkers with nothing to lose and end up loosing considerably more.

And it was one of his co-stars that had a big effect on persuading him to take on the part.

Chris added: “There was also Gary Lucy in the show who I have known and has done the last three tours and he was a big influence in persuading me to go for the audition. He also told me about the cammaraderie with the lads and how the show goes down really well with the crowd.”

At the time of talking to Chris, he’d only done one show but he is getting an ideal about the atmosphere from the crowd.

He added: “We only had out first show in Bournemouth and it was fantastic, we had a standing ovation from the crowd.

“It was a challenge given that we have only had two-and-a-half weeks rehearsals.

“There is also the challenging with the dancing which I’ve just about got down and then you have the stripping and getting the clothes off the right time so that you don’t have the ultimate wardrobe malfunction. Mind you, the whole show is one.

“But you have got to get all of us doing it at the same time and inevitably something goes wrong but that adds to it.

“I’ve met one or two of the guys before but not worked with any of them but we have developed a friendship quite quickly.”

After years of being a familiar face on Hollyoaks and Coronation Street, is TV work something that he prefers over the stage?

Chris said: “I don’t like saying whether I’ve got a preference for stage or television work. With TV, you have a lot of explosions and special effects, but you at least get to do that again.

“With stage work you don’t have to worry about any of those problems but you only get one take at it. I like both though.

“I have loved a lot of jobs that I have done. I even go back to the first one I did which was when I was 10 years old in Les Miserables. There was also Hollyoaks which I did for six years and was involved in some great storylines and even working on Coronation Street. I am proud of all of the jobs that I have done.”